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tlfie  iiartprsi  of  Cilicia 

1909 


AMERICAN  BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS 
FOR  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
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Cfje  iHartprsi  of  Cilicia 

APRIL,  1909 


'HE  Annual  Meeting  of  the  American  Board  at 
Minneapolis^  October  13-15^  had  one  outstand¬ 
ing  feature.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  first 
day,  when  the  situation  of  the  Turkish  missions  had 
been  set  forth  in  various  addresses  by  missionaries 
from  different  fields,  the  survey  of  that  needy  empire 
culminated  in  a  brief  service  commemorative  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  leaders  who  fell  in  the  massacres  that  desolated 
the  Central  Turkey  Mission  last  April.  President 
John  E.  Merrill  of  the  Central  Turkey  College  read 
the  names  of  the  martyrs  with  a  brief  and  apt  charac¬ 
terization  of  each,  while  the  great  audience  stood  in  token 
of  respect.  Rev.  M.  G.  Papazian,  himself  a  graduate  of 
Central  Turkey  College,  until  recently  pastor  of  the  Haik 
Evangelical  Church  in  Aintab  and  nov  of  the  Arme¬ 
nian  Evangelical  Church  in  New  York  City,  followed  with 
a  memorial  address,  noble  both  in  its  expression  and 
restraint.  A  heartfelt  prayer  by  Rev.  John  P.  McNaugh- 
ton,  missionary  in  Smyrna,  closed  the  service. 

It  is  impossible  to  reproduce  the  full  impressiveness  of 
the  scene;  President  Merrill’s  roll  of  honor  and  Mr.  Pap- 
azian’s  tribute  are  issued  in  this  form  that  they  may  convey 
to  many  somewhat  of  the  solemn  yet  exultant  appeal  of 
that  tender  hour. 


1 


®tc  3^oU  of  iWartprs 

By  President  JOHN  E.  MERRILL,  Ph.D.,  of  Aintab 


DANIEL  MINER  ROGERS. 
Member  of  the  South  Church, 
New  Britain,  Conn.  Graduate 
of  Princeton  University  and  of 
Hartford  Theological  Seminary. 
Pastor  in  East  Dorset,  Vt. 
Commissioned  by  the  American 
Board  in  1907,  and  designated 
to  the  Central  Turkey  Mission. 
Stationed  in  the  province  of 
Adana. 

“Simple,  sincere  of  purpose, 
holding  naturally  and  steadily 
to  his  great  ideal  of  serving 
Christ,  hopeful,  quietly  reserv¬ 
ed,  yet  loving  with  romantic 
devotion,  carrying  everywhere 
unassumingly  a  distinctly  Chris¬ 
tian  atmosphere.”  This  is  the 
tribute  of  his  pastor. 

“Of  wonderful  self-effacement. 
‘For  Thine  honor  and  glory’ 
was  the  characteristic  phrase 
of  hia  petitions  and  the  funda¬ 
mental  motive  of  his  life.”  So 
writes  his  wife. 

And  she  sends  to  us  today  as 
from  him,  as  from  beside  his 
grave  in  Adana,  this  message, 
“The  battle  is  to  the  self- 
sacrificing  and  the  brave,  to 

those  who  bear  the  cross  and 

who  follow  Christ,  to  those  who 
work  not  for  the  praise  of  men 
but  for  the  Kingdom  of  God.” 

HENRY  MAURER. 

Fell  with  Mr.  Rogers  at  Adana. 
Member  of  the  Mennonite  mis¬ 
sion  at  Hadjin.  He  was 

sympathetic  and  gentle,  hum¬ 
ble-minded  and  retiring,  sac¬ 

rificing  easily,  because  he 
followed  his  Master  implicitly, 
and  therefore  able  to  become 
daring  and  heroic ;  marked 
by  an  unmistakeable  sweet¬ 
ness  and  kindliness  and  a 
smile  which  his  face  bore  even 
In  death. 


PROP.  SARKIS  DEVONIAN. 
Graduate  of  the  mission  school 
in  theology,  and  of  the  Shef¬ 
field  Scientific  School.  Studied 
at  the  University  of  Basel. 
Connected  with  Central  Turkey 
College  at  Aintab  for  thirty- 
one  years,  1878-1909.  Clear 
thinker,  illuminating  teacher, 
faithful  preacher,  sincere  friend, 
true  patriot,  spiritual  leader, 
man  of  science,  and  man  of 
God. 

GIRAGOS  ZHAMGOCHIAN. 
Pastor  of  the  church  in  Sever- 
ek.  Simple,  enthusiastic,  sym¬ 
pathetic,  evangelistic,  seeking 
young  men  in  his  old  age.  The 
last  utterance  heard  from  his 
lips  was  prayer  for  his  mur¬ 
derers. 

HAGOP  KOUNDAKJIAN. 

Pastor  of  the  church  in  Hassan 
Beyli.  Fellow-student  with 
Professor  Devonian  in  theology. 
A  village  pastor,  apt  in  illus¬ 
tration  ;  strong  and  great-heart¬ 
ed,  adviser  of  all  conditions  of 
men. 

SDEPAN  HOVHANNESSIAN. 
Pastor  of  the  church  in  Kharne. 
Graduate  of  Central  Turkey 
College  and  Marash  Theological 
Seminary.  Careful,  persevering, 
self-sacrificing. 

NAZARET  HEGHINIAN. 

Pastor  of  the  Third  Church  in 
Marash.  Graduate  of  Central 
Turkey  College  and  Marash 
Theological  Seminary.  Studied 
in  Edinburgh.  Thoughtful, 
aspiring,  cordial,  confident ;  of 
thorough  preparation  and  grow¬ 
ing  infiuence. 


2 


STILIANOS  ASLANIDIS. 

Pastor  of  the  First  Church  in 
Hadjin.  Studied  at  Central 
Turkey  College ;  graduate  of 
Marash  Theological  Seminary. 
A  Greek ;  open  and  true,  ener¬ 
getic,  courageous. 

ZACHARIA  BBDROSSIAN. 

Pastor  of  the  church  in  Gar- 
mouch.  Graduate  of  Central 
Turkey  College  and  Harpoot 
Theological  Seminary.  Earn¬ 
est,  zealous,  seeking  the  souls 
of  men. 

JURJIS  SHEMMAS. 

Pastor  of  the  Syrian  church  in 
Oorfa.  Graduate  of  Central  Tur¬ 
key  College  and  Marash  Theo¬ 
logical  Seminary.  A  Syrian  ;  an 
ardent  student,  substantial  in 
thought,  able  in  administration, 
evangelistic  in  spirit. 

NERSES  KOUYOUMJIAN. 

Pastor  of  the  church  in  Adia- 
man.  Graduate  of  Central  Tur¬ 
key  College  and  Marash  Theo¬ 
logical  Seminary.  Of  intel¬ 
lectual  ability  and  bright  future. 
He  refused  the  prospect  of 
larger  churches  to  bring  the 
congregation  of  his  native  town 
to  strength  and  self-support. 

SBTRAG  EKMEKJIAN. 

Pastor  of  the  First  Church  in 
Oorfa.  Studied  at  Central  Tur¬ 
key  College ;  graduate  of  Har¬ 
poot  Theological  Seminary.  Pro¬ 
gressive,  spiritually  -  minded, 
winning,  humble. 

MARKAR  KALOUSDIAN. 

Preacher  of  the  church  in 
Hamidiyeh.  Always  at  work, 
unwearying  in  pastoral  care. 

LEVON  SOGHOVMEYAN. 

Preacher  of  the  Second  Church 
in  Hadjin.  Graduate  of  Cen¬ 
tral  Turkey  College  and  Marash 
Theological  Seminary.  Worthy 
of  confidence,  patient  and  fore¬ 
bearing,  constant  in  endeavor, 
without  guile. 

ASADOUR  TOPALIAN. 

Preacher  of  the  church  in 
Fekke,  which  he  founded. 
Studied  at  Central  Turkey  Col¬ 
lege.  Useful  in  service  as 
teacher  and  preacher. 


HAGOP  ALBARIAN. 

Preacher  of  the  church  in  Ge- 
ben.  Graduate  of  St.  Paul’s  In¬ 
stitute  and  Marash  Theological 
Seminary.  Prom  the  utter 
change  at  his  conversion,  dili¬ 
gent,  faithful,  evangelistic. 

GARABED  KUPELIAN. 

Preacher  of  the  church  of  Os- 
maniyeh.  Graduate  of  St. 
Paul’s  Institute  at  Tarsus  and 
Marash  Theological  Seminary. 
Diligent  in  reading,  the  friend 
of  his  people. 

MELIDON  MALIAN. 

About  to  be  ordained  as  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Sis.  Graduate 
of  St.  Paul’s  Institute  and  Ma¬ 
rash  Theological  Seminary.  Five 
years  in  prison  at  Acre,  where 
he  did  not  shrink  from  doing 
the  work  of  an  evangelist.  Per¬ 
sistent  in  Christian  service. 

TAKVOR  HAGOPIAN. 

Preacher  of  the  church  m 
Baghche.  Studied  at  Central 
Turkey  College  and  at  St.  Paul’s 
Institute.  A  man  who  loved  his 
nation  and  his  Lord. 

ARDASHES  BOYAJIAN. 

Preacher  of  the  church  in  Shar. 
Graduate  of  St.  Paul’s  Institute 
and  Marash  Theological  Semi¬ 
nary.  Comforter  and  leader  of 
his  people  in  difliculty,  gentle 
and  kind. 

HOVAGIM  KAYAYAN. 

Preacher  of  the  church  in  Al- 
boustan.  Graduate  of  St.  Paul’s 
Institute  and  Marash  Theologi¬ 
cal  Seminary.  Killed  in  Mr. 
Chambers’s  arms  at  Adana. 
Conscientious,  energetic,  friend 
of  young  men. 

CONSTANTINE  SIYAHIAN. 
Preacher  of  the  church  in  Kars. 
Graduate  of  Central  Turkey 
College  and  Marash  Theological 
Seminary.  Modest,  consecrated, 
genuine. 

And  to  these  might  be  added  the 
names  of  the  lay  preacher  of  the 
church  at  Karakeoy,  a  brother  of 
the  Garmouch  pastor  who  was 
killed,  of  the  teacher  of  the  school 
at  Hassan  Beyli,  and  of  the  dele¬ 
gates  from  various  cities  to  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Cilicia 
Union,  who  met  death  on  their 
way  to  Adana. 


“  Wt)eie  an  Jiieli  in  Jfaitij 

3 


tKt)e  iWemorial 

By  Rev.  M.  G.  PAPAZIAN  of  New  York 


“These  all  died  in  faith,  not  having  received  the  prom¬ 
ises,  but  having  seen  and  greeted  them  from  afar.” 


HEY  were  a  select  company  of  souls  endowed 
^  j  with  the  highest  learning  obtainable  in  the 
land  of  their  nativity ;  with  the  gifts  and 
graces  of  the  Spirit  which  made  them  the  salt  of 
the  earth;  with  unreserved  consecration  to  the  Saviour 
who  called  them  through  His  grace  and  revealed  Him¬ 
self  in  their  lives;  with  intense  devotion  to  the  Church 
purchased  and  sanctified  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  Cross; 
with  undivided  love  to  the  suffering  and  stricken  people 
for  whose  redemption  they  lived  and  labored;  with  a  keen 
sense  of  Christian  truth  which  transformed  labor  into  love, 
duty  into  joy.  They  were  men  chosen  and  owned  of  God. 

In  daily  life  they  glorified  God  through  the  ministrations 
of  the  Word  by  speech,  by  influence,  by  act,  under  con¬ 
ditions  requiring  the  “work  of  faith  and  labor  of  love  and 
patience  of  hope."^  In  large  city  as  well  as  in  obscure 
village,  in  the  pulpit  and  in  the  quiet  walks  of  life  the  mes¬ 
sage  was  delivered  and  the  ministration  was  offered  unob¬ 
trusively,  unheralded  and  unrewarded  by  men.  They  lived 
unto  God. 


4 


No  less  in  death  did  they  glorify  God^ — just  like  their 
Master  whose  passion  and  death  even  more  than  His  char¬ 
acter  was  the  coronation  of  a  Divine  Life.  They  suffered 
and  perished  under  circumstances  quite  suggestive  of 
Gethsemane  and  Calvary  of  old.  They  were  surprised  in 
the  midst  of  active  ministry.  They  were  denied  the  conso¬ 
lations  of  death-chamber.  They  “suffered  without  the 
gate.”  They  were  “burned  without  the  camp.”  They  died 
with  undying  joy  in  the  heart  and  whispered  prayer  upon 
the  lips.  Was  suffering  ever  so  sweety  was  death  ever  so 
life-like  as  when  the  white-haired  saintly  pastor  uttered 
in  his  last  breath  a  petition  of  forgiveness  for  his  enemies.^ 
That  was  not  death;, — it  was  victory^  the  victory  of  faith 
“which  hath  overcome  the  world”  and  to  which  grim  Death, 
“the  last  enemy,”  can  only  add  imperishable  lustre  and 
immortal  glory. 

As  a  friend  who  has  known  them  intimately  for  years,  as 
a  f ellow- worker  who  has  shared  their  toils  and  privileges  in 
the  service  of  the  Church,  as  an  associate  who,  in  public 
and  in  private,  has  many  times  conferred  and  prayed  with 
them  concerning  the  affairs  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  also 
as  one  who  certainly  would  have  shared  their  martyrdom 
had  I  not  been  called  away  providentially,  it  is  my  sad 
and  sacred  duty  to  address  these  few  words  of  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  the  sainted  missionaries  and  pastors  and 
preachers  and  teachers  of  Cilicia  whom  violent  death  has 
placed  in  direct  line  with  the  noble  army  of  patriarchs, 
prophets,  apostles  and  martyrs.  Through  faith  they  sub¬ 
dued  kingdoms,  they  wrought  righteousness,  they  quenched 


5 


the  power  of  fire,  they  were  tortured,  not  accepting  their 
deliverance,  they  were  slain  with  the  sword.  Blessed  be  the 
name  of  Him  who  quickened  them  into  life  which  is  life 
indeed,  who  mustered  them  into  His  service,  who  welcomed 
them  into  glory. 

And  now,  my  friends,  they  are  gone,  but  there  are  things 
that  remain.  The  land  where  they  labored  and  sacrificed, 
the  Redeemer  unto  whose  likeness  they  were  conformed  in 
life  and  in  death,  the  Gospel  upon  the  altar  of  which  they 
laid  down  their  lives, — these  abide  and  call  upon  us  who 
survive  for  a  fresh  and  complete  dedication  of  body  and 
soul  unto  the  great  task  which  they  have  left  unfinished.  We 
cannot  mistake  God’s  voice  sounding  from  the  blood-stained 
field  afar  off.  The  land  whose  soil  was  trodden  by  the 
feet  of  Jesus  and  saturated  with  the  tears  of  Gethsemane 
ought  to  be,  yea  shall  be,  conquered  into  the  Kingdom  whose 
throne  is  Calvary,  whose  sceptre  is  the  Cross,  whose  King  is 
the  Lamb,  whose  law  is  Love.  At  this  moment,  when  we 
stand  with  bowed  heads  in  the  presence  of  the  honored 
dead,  let  us  not  forget  that  they  all,  “having  had  witness 
borne  to  them  through  their  faith,”  yet  died  without  having 
seen  the  promises, — they  died  upon  the  eve  of  the  regenera¬ 
tion  of  a  sacred  soil.  As  friends  of  the  crowned  martyrs 
and  servants  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  it  behooves  us,  in  the  still¬ 
ness  of  this  solemn  moment,  humbly  and  prayerfully  to 
resolve  that,  God  willing,  we  will  offer  the  Gospel  of  Love  to 
that  same  race  and  religion  which  burned  the  churches  and 
slew  the  prophets  of  Cilicia. 

May  God  hear  and  accept  our  vow. 


6 


B^ejpatrtng  t|)e  IBreact 


ORE  than  a  score  of  pastors  snatched  in  a 
day  from  the  thirty-five  churches  connected 
with  the  Central  Turkey  Mission;  the  col¬ 
leges  and  theological  seminary  that  trained  them,  in¬ 
adequately  maintained  before,  now  pressed  to  undertake 
added  work  to  meet  the  emergency ;  churches  stripped 
of  their  buildings  and  of  means  to  replace  them,  yet 
needing  at  once  the  safeguard  of  new  sanctuaries;  widows, 
orphans,  homeless  wanderers>  destitute  and  discour¬ 
aged  lives  everywhere ;  and  withal  a  chance,  such  as 
never  before,  to  minister  in  Christ’s  name  to  all  the  troubled 
races  of  that  needy  land!  Who  can  contemplate  this  roll 
of  martyrs  without  wishing  to  do  something  for  the  peoples 
for  whose  christianizing  they  laid  down  their  lives.  A  gift 
sent  to  Frank  H.  Wiggin,  Treasurer,  14  Beacon  Street, 
Boston,  will  immediately  be  set  to  work  repairing  the 
breach. 


7 


